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Maria Ressa - Fighting Back Against Trump’s Authoritarian Algorithm With Truth | The Daily Show

2025-09-19 Comedy
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The Daily Show
The Daily Show
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Comparing US Authoritarian Trends to Philippine Dictatorship with Maria Ressa

Learn why Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa sees alarming parallels between Duterte's rapid erosion of institutions in the Philippines and current US political trends, focusing on the speed, compliance, and role of Big Tech.

Short Summary

  • The speed at which democratic institutions can collapse mirrors the pattern seen previously in the Philippines under Duterte.
  • Tech executives, motivated by profit and responding to political pressure, are redefining free speech to align with executive power.
  • Journalists and activists must actively stand up now, as reclaiming rights becomes exponentially harder once lost.
  • You gain critical context on how algorithmic manipulation (like "ultrarocessed speech") targets human biology to influence voting and behavior systemically.

This conversation with Maria Ressa provides a stark warning. She details how the collapse of checks and balances in the Philippines happened in six months, using those insights to analyze the current erosion of US norms, especially concerning the lack of fact-based reality perpetuated online. Ressa emphasizes that inaction now assures greater difficulty in recovery later.

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Description

“It’s both deja vu and PTSD.” Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist and author of the book “How to Stand Up to a Dictator,” sits down with Jon Stewart for a conversation about Trump’s authoritarian attacks on free speech in the wake of Disney taking Jimmy Kimmel off the air in fealty to the president and his hand-picked FCC Chair. Ressa, who in 2020 was jailed in the Philippines for her journalism criticizing the country’s former president Rodrigo Duterte, warns about the similarities between the dictatorship she lived under and the Trump administration. They also discuss how tech companies use authoritarian governments as case studies to inform their algorithms and manipulate democratic elections, and the importance in this political moment for Americans to take peaceful action before their rights are continually stripped away. #DailyShow #MariaRessa #Trump #Dictators #Philippines Subscribe to The Daily Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWhs_6x42TyRM4Wstoq8HA/?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Daily Show: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedailyshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedailyshow Stream full episodes of The Daily Show on Paramount+: http://www.paramountplus.com/thedailyshow Follow Comedy Central: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComedyCentral Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ComedyCentral Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comedycentral About The Daily Show: Jon Stewart and The Best F**king News Team host The Daily Show, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning program analyzing the biggest stories in news, politics, and culture through a sharp, satirical lens. The Daily Show redefined the late night show category on TV and, with an audience of over 51M across social media platforms, has become a launching pad for some of the biggest stars in entertainment. The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central.

Top Comments (10)

@TheHomelessDreamer 2025-09-19

Few people would have the integrity to invite someone on and welcome an "I told you so" from them. Thanks for that, Jon.

6.1k 53 replies
@justinpoff3907 2025-09-19

Maria Ressa is a true profile in courage. I admire this woman so much.

3.9k 70 replies
@originalcyn 2025-09-19

What a dunk to have a Nobel Peace Prize winner as the guest tonight.

3.6k 28 replies
@timfarrell5659 2025-09-19

Maria Ressa is a hero. This is what courage looks like

2.1k 31 replies
@zanariniangel 2025-09-19

Listen to what she is saying my fellow Americans... its not the end. It's the battle 😤

2.0k 49 replies
@arthurdoyle8266 2025-09-19

As an Irish person, I used to see America as the heart of democracy. You need to get out and protest as much as you can before its to late

1.6k 92 replies
@CammieSue 2025-09-19

Maria Ressa is right - WE ARE IN THE BATTLE RIGHT NOW! Keep fighting for our Rights!

1.4k 26 replies
@Platpinkfuture1 2025-09-20

Sadly, the people who really need to see this will not watch it.

1.2k 42 replies
@anonlegion9096 2025-09-21

"Ultra processed speech" is actually a great description of the content we are consuming on social media.

370 3 replies
@cmagneballesteros 2025-09-25

Salute 🫡 to Maria Ressa! Strong, intelligent, brave and articulate! We need more of her in this world!

87 1 replies

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